I have a 2005 Giant Simple 7 that I love and ride every day. I bought it used and have no idea of it's history. I have had it about a year and put 2700 miles on it in that year. I think the chain is the original but am not sure but I decided it was time to replace it. So I go to my LBS to get a new chain and to make a long story short the guy wont sell me one unless I buy a new cassette as well. I insists a new chain will slip or jump teeth on the old cassette. I understand it is a good idea to replace them both at the same time but is it that critical that he is right in refusing to sell me only the chain? I have had many bad experiences in this shop but they have been in business for like 25 years so I just dont know what to believe.
Chain ? Help a Noob
- Thread starter Dadx2mj
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:
The guy at the shop doesn't deserve your business. It is true that it sometimes makes sense to change the chain and cassette at the same time, unless you change chains very frequently. In the case of replacing a worn chain, it is definitely a good idea to change the cassette at the same time. In the case of a badly worn cassette, it is really just goofy to replace the chain without replacing the cassette. I haven't seen your drivetrain's condition, and I'm not sure whether the guy at the shop did either, but I think the bottom line is this:
You're a paying customer. You want a new chain. He should sell you one.
In my lbs days, there were plenty of times where we had customers who disregarded our advice, but once we gave it, they could take it or leave it. We certainly didn't try to beg nor bully ppl into making other purchases, no matter how much they should've. And, yeah, if he's the one doing the work, he might be worried about possible litigation if a system on the bike fails and you get hurt, but that doesn't apply to you buying and installing a chain....
If this shop has burned you before, why not find a different one? If there's no other decent shops around you, come on RRB for advice and buy parts online.
HTH
Rob
You're a paying customer. You want a new chain. He should sell you one.
In my lbs days, there were plenty of times where we had customers who disregarded our advice, but once we gave it, they could take it or leave it. We certainly didn't try to beg nor bully ppl into making other purchases, no matter how much they should've. And, yeah, if he's the one doing the work, he might be worried about possible litigation if a system on the bike fails and you get hurt, but that doesn't apply to you buying and installing a chain....
If this shop has burned you before, why not find a different one? If there's no other decent shops around you, come on RRB for advice and buy parts online.
HTH
Rob
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2013
- Messages
- 4,216
- Reaction score
- 9,124
Our local Walmart has a variety of bike chains. They have them for single speed as well as 5 and 7 speeds. Get one of these and try it. They also have chain pin removal tools so you can drive the pins out of your original chain to remove it and to drive a new pin in to connect the new chain together. Because Walmart has what are perceived to be bargains make sure that a 500 link chain is long enough. You may need to buy two? The local bike shop might be right, you could need a new cassette and new chainwheels as well. I would try the chain first, but it may very well skip. Stuff wears out. I wore out a chain in 300 miles of single track use this summer. My experience with multispeed cassette bikes has been that you usually need new gears if the chain has become worn out for a long period.
Thanks for the advice guys.
The shop is just so close and sometimes seems so helpful but other times it is like they view their customers as the enemy,,,really odd.
The guy did not even look at the bike even though it was right there and no the chain has not been measured.
Think I will just take it to another shop and get the chain and cassette replaced just to be on the safe side.
The shop is just so close and sometimes seems so helpful but other times it is like they view their customers as the enemy,,,really odd.
The guy did not even look at the bike even though it was right there and no the chain has not been measured.
Think I will just take it to another shop and get the chain and cassette replaced just to be on the safe side.
Rider cadence, road conditions, maintenance levels all effect drivetrain longevity. If you aren't having performance issues and don't see obvious wear, you can get a chain tool from just about any other bike shop around, take your chain off (don't push the pin all the way out) and check for play lengthwise through the whole of the chain. Check the connecting plates and pin ends for wear. Take your chain back to the same shop and tell them you need that much 3/32"x1/2", compare the 2 for future reference. If you see a discrepency in chain length/endplay, you may need new cogs. Install your new chain. If it shifts and pedals smoothly I would forego swapping cogs.
I've encountered this at every bike shop I've been a regular customer at. I'm sure customer traffic/workload has something to do with it, but I've even experienced it in the middle of winter (which, for a bike shop up north, means struggling to make enough money just to stay open). The sad thing is, I want to support my LBS's, but service like that just further increases my reliance on sites like this and purchasing off of the internet.
I feel like, for real, bike shops need to evolve or die. Guys trying to run shops the same way they ran'm in the 70s, 80s, and 90s are not going to survive. Products have changed so much, the typical customer has evolved into many different varieties, and the competition is fierce and getting weird (eg, where do co-ops fit in the food chain? Are they a symbiote, or a threat, to the lbs? I've seen it go both ways.). The LBS has to compete with amazon.com in this day and age, and they'll NEVER beat'm on price, convenience, or selection. Their only hope is to beat'm on service; that should be an easy advantage, b/c online retailers don't repair or service bikes. Amazon cn't install any parts for the customer. And that's why I'm always incredulous about experience's like the one described in the OP: that guy let Amazon absolutely TROUNCE him on service. Last I checked, Amazon and othe ronline retailers will let you order a chain without forcing you to buy a new cassette. Unbelievable. This guy could've kept an existing customer, but instesd he bullied him over a $25 sale, and likely lost a paying customer for good....
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2013
- Messages
- 4,216
- Reaction score
- 9,124
Yeah, I know the feeling, I brought in my new mountain bike for the free lifetime maintenance and they told me I need a new $65 dollar chain. I saw the measurement and it was stretched (after 300 miles). The new chain didn't stop the new bike from chain wrap and sluggish shifts. My other mountain bikes shift so it isn't me as they claim. This went on all summer since I bought the bike new. They put on new free cables and it still shifts bad. You would think that an entry level $900 MB would work better than my several $400 MBs but that isn't so. From now on I am doing my own free maintenance. I decided to go with Bikes Direct and bought a road bike from them. No problems with that shifting. I am going to buy a fat bike from them because it can't work any worse than a bike from a local bike shop that cost twice as much. This is a good bike shop and I have purchased 5 previous bikes from them. I think that I got a bad bike, I think the packing container fell off the unloading crane and bent it all up as it sure doesn't work right. I always go last in group rides as the chain warp and sluggish shifts cause me to stop. I usually just leave it in one gear and walk up the hills that are too steep for standing, thats how miserable the shifting is.
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2013
- Messages
- 4,216
- Reaction score
- 9,124
The bike shop is supposed to fix this. I'll give them one more chance in the spring (its free). They said the derailleur is in alignment and not bent. I haven't looked at it, but I guess I'll probably end out fixing it myself. This bike shop reportedly have had no problems with all the Trek x caliber 7 they sold and it got real good reviews from the bike magazines. It really doesn't make sense to me? I will look at the alignment and b screw if they can't fix it but this seems so basic. The problem is it doesn't do it all the time. The mechanic rides it around the block and say its fine, then I ride it and get massive front chaimwheel chain warp, about once in a 10 mile ride. This happens on the flats getting ready for a hill and by the time I slow down and back pedal I have lost momentum and have to get off. The sluggish shifting is not always noticeable. I shift down two or 3 gears, ride for a while and hit a big bump and it shelf shifts. It is also sluggish shifting. So far it is a piece of junk as far as I can tell. Done this since new.
Oh, I totally agree that the shop should be responsible for fixing it. I'm just willing to bet that they could fix it. It might be a case of laziness, or maybe they just don't have the right mechanic with the proper skills on the case, or whatever. At the very least, they should be able to find the exact problem and warrantee it....
It's a shame that they haven't come thru for you. I wasn't trying to imply that you poughta fix it; I was just trying to put a positive, hopeful spin on the situation...
It's a shame that they haven't come thru for you. I wasn't trying to imply that you poughta fix it; I was just trying to put a positive, hopeful spin on the situation...
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2013
- Messages
- 4,216
- Reaction score
- 9,124
I have contacted the manufacturer and hopefully they can give me a solution. They have average mechanics and a very good one. I don't think the good one has ridden it long enough to notice the problem, but he has been working on it. They put it in a stand and then do a short test ride. You need to go out on the trail. I have hardly ever monkeyed with index shifting, most of my previous bikes have been friction shift and I can fix those. I have never really tried to adjust index, but I guess I'll have to start as I now have 7 with index shifting. I have been taking them to bike shops for an annual adjustment if they need it, too lazy to learn the new stuff. I don't even change my own oil anymore.
So this morning I decided to take a detour on my morning ride to Walmart to pick up a chain and chain tool. I know I have seen both at my local Walmart but this morning they had neither. So I went on with my ride and as usual the loop I ride takes me right by the LBS and I decide to stop in again and see who is there and if I cant some different answers. The shop is family owned and a few generations of the family work int he shop. The first guy who would not sell me the chain is the old man who opened the store some 25 years ago, today his daughter was there and it was a totally different experience. She invited me behind the counter to look at the chain tools while she went and got me the chain. When she came back with it I had picked out a tool and asked how much the chain was. She said $19.95 and I told her that was way too much I have seen the same chain on Amazon for $9, she replied she wanted my business and if I could show her the same chain for $9 she would match the price. The new chain is installed and working great, might just all be in my head but the bike just feels aned sounds better whether it is real or in my head the end result is all the same,,,I am a happy camper.
Thanks for the help and advice guys!!!
Thanks for the help and advice guys!!!
